Successful PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC)

Gareth and Anders have a lot to smile about as they earn their PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor qualifications this week. Not only can they teach the core PADI courses, but having completed their Master Scuba Diver Trainer and Emergency First Response Instructor programs, they can also teach five PADI specialty courses and First Aid. Their two-day exam, conducted by PADI examiners who were flown in especially, was the culmination of a nine-day intensive but enjoyable learning experience.

Emperor Divers' April PADI IDC got off to a relaxed start on the beach at Shark's Bay in Sharm El Sheikh. Gareth booked in for a two-day prep course with PADI Course Director, Steve Prior, to ensure that his in-water skills and diving knowledge were up to scratch. Gareth advised, "You only do a PADI IDC once in your life, so you want to do it right and you want to have fun."

Anders joined the IDC after completing his PADI Divemaster course with Emperor Divers where he had taken advantage of the free internship that's on offer. "It's been great to work with so many different instructors throughout my internship and I have gained something fantastic from every one of them. I am really looking forward to using these experiences when I am a scuba Instructor myself."

The IDC was not all classroom based; the guys enjoyed a few days out on Emperor Divers' day boats visiting local sites that also added a dimension to the instructor learning experience. IDC Staff Instructor, Janet Prior, shares this experience, "We had completed our skills on the sandy bottom in Middle Garden and were finishing off by going for a dive, when out of the blue, came a spotted Eagle Ray. Fantastic!"